Without Words
by seimaisin
Summary: Set post-"All That Remains." Isabela might not be good with comforting words, but she still knows what Marian needs from her.


[finMarian had been curled up in her bed, staring into the darkness for at least an hour by the time Isabela showed up. Marian didn't hear her come in, didn't know anyone was with her until she felt a hand caress her shoulder. Bodahn must have let her in, she supposed - or, well, Isabela didn't need an unlocked door to get anywhere. If she wanted to be somewhere, she just … was.

After Marian's curt dismissal, she was surprised that Isabela wanted to be anywhere near her. But deep down, in the corner of her heart she kept locked tight, she was desperately glad. _I didn't mean it_, she thought. _Stay. Please stay, don't leave me alone._

She rolled over onto her back. Isabela sat on the edge of the bed, bare feet tucked up underneath her, hair hanging loose around her face. She looked young this way - younger than she was, younger than Marian felt. Marian opened her mouth, but Isabela put a finger over her lips. Marian couldn't see her expression, not in the dark, but the kiss Isabela pressed to her mouth a moment later felt … well, almost tender. Which wasn't a word she'd normally use, or one she'd say aloud to Isabela in the light of day. Marian sighed into the kiss, and she felt Isabela's smile curve against her skin.

Then, Isabela's hand slid up underneath her sleep shirt and squeezed one of her breasts, hard - and _there, _that was what Marian expected from her pirate. What she didn't know she needed until she felt Isabela's cold fingers warm up against her skin. Her fingertips were still slightly chilled, though, when she pinched Marian's nipple, rolling it around between thumb and forefinger. The sensation had Marian arching her back, temperature and a slight tendril of pain arcing through her body like an electric current. She gasped, which encouraged Isabela to climb up to straddle Marian's hips and slide her other hand underneath the shirt. The fingers that rolled Marian's other nipple were still ice cold; Marian clutched the sheets underneath her and made a whining sound in the back of her throat. She and Isabela had been here before, enough for Isabela to know that the sound meant _please, don't stop, don't ever stop_. At least, Marian hoped so.

Marian sat up just enough to start tugging at the ends of her sleep shirt. Isabela caught on and took her hands away long enough to pull the garment up over Marian's head and toss it aside. She leaned down to take a nipple into her mouth before Marian could lay back down; Marian found herself clutching Isabela's shoulders to hold herself up, while teeth scraped lightly over her breast, tongue dancing along the edges of an already sensitive nipple. When Isabela sucked the nipple into her mouth and tugged, none too gently, Marian stifled a cry automatically. She knew she had to keep herself quiet - it wasn't like Mother didn't know Isabela was here, but she preferred not to be reminded …

… and then Marian remembered. She hadn't exactly forgotten, but for the first time in several days, her mother's face hadn't been at the forefront of her mind. She wondered if she should feel guilty about that.

No. She didn't want to feel anything. Anything, really, but this - Isabela pressed against her, warm mouth and slick skin, chasing all rational thoughts from her mind.

_Not enough skin_, Marian thought, and in one smooth motion, she flipped Isabela onto her back and started pulling at her tunic. Isabela cooperated, letting Marian tug at cloth until she was completely naked. Marian never knew where to start when she had Isabela like this - there was so much gorgeous, dark skin, all for her, at least for this night. And this night was all that mattered. In the morning, the sun would rise, and Mother would still be dead. Tonight, though, she didn't have to think about it. Didn't want to think. Marian skimmed her hands over Isabela's sides, pausing to run her thumbs over large, dark nipples that responded instantly to her touch.

She skipped all that skin and went right for the challenging bit. Her hands spread Isabela's thighs wide, and she pressed her lips to the sensitive nub of flesh right at the apex of her sex. Isabela gasped, the sound turning into a contented whine when Marian's tongue flicked out in a steady rhythm. Between Isabela's low moans and her own heartbeat echoing in her ears, Marian couldn't hear anything else, not even silent regrets and sorrow. She slid her hands underneath Isabela's buttocks and sucked, none too gently. Isabela's answering curse was music to her ears.

Her world narrowed to just this - just the taste of Isabela, hands wound into her hair, thighs pressing against her ears, shutting out the sound of anything but wet, obscene sucking and Marian's own heartbeat. She made noises in the back of her throat, things she could only feel as vibrations against Isabela's heat, words that made no sense. She could stay like this forever, Marian thought - in this small world, where everything horrible was erased by the sharp pain in her scalp as Isabela pulled at a fist full of hair. Here, she had a goal, something she knew she could do, and do well. Something she couldn't fail at. But even as she tasted the fruits of her labor, sticky on her chin as Isabela arched off the bed and shouted to whatever god happened to be listening, reality started to seep back into Marian's mind. A lump formed in her throat, and she pressed her face into Isabela's thigh to keep herself steady.

A moment later, Isabela tugged on her hair again - hard enough to make Marian yelp. She kept pulling until Marian slid up and over her, until they were in a position where Isabela could pull her head down and kiss her until they were both breathless. As Isabela nibbled at her bottom lip, Marian felt her fingers slide down her belly and into her own wetness. Two of Isabela's fingers slid deep inside of her, curling just enough that Marian whimpered and squirmed. Isabela pressed the heel of her hand against the sensitive nub, and started a rocking rhythm that alternated pressure inside Marian's body and out. Her hips began to move of their own accord, matching Isabela's movements until she was fucking herself on her fingers. She closed her eyes and craned her head up as Isabela spread short, sharp bites down her neck. She'd be marked in the morning for sure - but there was no one who would see, no one to sit at the breakfast table and roll her eyes when Marian showed up with red welts all over her throat.

… no. She wasn't thinking about that. Not now, not while Isabela thrust a third finger inside of her, spreading her nearly to the point of discomfort. Marian's hips moved faster - erratically, while the nails of Isabela's other hand scraped down her back. Her release came quickly, almost too quickly. Her knees slipped on either side of Isabela's hips, bringing her crashing down inelegantly as she spasmed. Isabela laughed when her fingers slipped out of Marian's body; she brought her slick fingers up to rub Marian's nub roughly as the orgasm rolled to its conclusion. Marian lay on top of her for a moment, heedless of her own weight. She could feel Isabela's generous breasts pressed against her own smaller ones, the remnants of their pleasure making the skin of their thighs stick together. Finally, though, Isabela shoved at her until she rolled over onto her side.

When Isabela started to shift, Marian panicked. This was the part where Isabela left, slid off into the night and left Marian with warm, wet sheets and a body still shuddering from orgasm. That was the way it worked, the terms of their agreement. But tonight, Marian couldn't bear it. She grabbed Isabela's arm. "Stay?" she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

Isabela stilled. For a moment, Marian was desperately afraid she'd overstepped - that she'd be left alone in her large house, too empty these days by one. But after a moment, Isabela sighed and pressed closer. "Yes," was all she said.

For the first time, Marian fell asleep with her head resting against Isabela's shoulder. It was enough to keep the memories at bay, at least for one night.


End file.
